Some young adults will be freed from shelling out on council tax under a new council strategy.

Councillors in Bexley agreed to scrap council tax for care leavers up to the age of 25, following an increasing trend promoted by a charity.

Residents leaving the council’s care won’t have to pay the bill after research showed some 18-year-olds faced a “cliff edge” when transitioning into adult life.

The Children’s Society has been calling for authorities to scrap the tax, claiming it gives young adults a fairer start in life.

At a cabinet meeting, councillors in Bexley agreed to impose a 100 per cent exemption.

Council leader Teresa O’Neill said: “We are all corporate parents and in life parents tend to support their children both emotionally and financially and this especially means when they move out into the big wide world.

“We are delighted to bring this forward.”

There are currently approximately 70 young people who have left the council’s care who qualify to pay tax.

Councillor Alex Sawyer said: “Policies become about process and not people, but this is about people.

“This demonstrates it is about people, people less fortunate and people who are in circumstances I couldn’t pretend to understand and I don’t know many people that do.

“Support young people leaving social care is a priority and it is wonderful we are tipping the scales back from process to people.”

Many other councils across the country have introduced the exemption.